There are a variety of electrical connection applications wherein stamped and formed electrical circuitry, including lead frames, are mounted on dielectric bases or housings for terminating leads of various electrical devices. Such applications can range from switches or connectors to refrigerator ice making apparatus.
Typically, such circuit assemblies include stamped and formed conductive circuitry mounted to a wire-insertion face of a dielectric housing or base. The base may include circuit-receiving channels for locating and receiving circuit portions of the conductive circuitry. The central conductive cores of insulated electrical wires are connected to the conductive circuitry by connecting portions at various terminating points of the circuitry. For instance, lead wires from a motor may be connected at terminating points to integral connecting portions of the circuitry.
Heretofore, the insulated electrical wires typically have been terminated to the circuitry by insulation displacement connecting portions of the circuitry. The circuitry may even include anti-overstress portions for receiving the insulated electrical wires to hold the wires horizontally in the insulation displacement connecting portions of the circuitry. Special pushing tools usually are required to provide enough force to terminate the wires into the insulation displacement connecting portions and/or locating the wires in the anti-overstress portions of the circuitry. Problems of excessive insertion forces and the requirement of using special tools have discouraged the use of this type of circuitry for many years.
The present invention is directed to solving the above problems by providing a circuit assembly which uses stamped and formed conductive circuitry requiring minimal wire insertion forces and includes a simple wire guide means that also provides strain relief.